A group of women who made a public call for people to join the Labour Day demonstrations on 1 May were stopped and detained by the police in Istanbul on Saturday.

The members of the feminist ‘Women’s Defence Network’ marched along Istiklal Street near Taksim Square, chanting slogans in protest at increasing poverty, gender inequality, discrimination, unrecognised and unpaid domestic work, and male violence in Turkey, and read out a statement at their destination.

They voiced their demands for equal pay and job security at work, an end to bullying in the workplace, recognition of domestic work, pay increases to match high inflation, and subsidies for free sanitary products and babies’ nappies.

The police intervened and detained the women, taking them to a police station, where they gave statements to the police and were then released.